


Soft

by writingtheend



Category: LoveBot, Webtoon - Fandom
Genre: Androids, Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Falling In Love, Fluff, Gift Giving, Healing, M/M, Olympic National Park, Other, Past Abuse, Plushies, Read LoveBot cowards, Robots, Seattle, Sex Robots, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:40:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29481606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingtheend/pseuds/writingtheend
Summary: Xada just needs food.He doesn't need his thoughts to keep drifting to the rogue LoveBot staying in his warehouse, and the feelings that are growing by the minute for him.And he definitely doesn't need a plushie.
Relationships: Lacey/Xada





	Soft

**Author's Note:**

> Avon, writing a non-minecraft work? Impossible! 
> 
> Except here we are. I've really fallen for LoveBot, and I highly recommend you all read it on Webtoons! Great story and awesome creators, its been my brainrot for the past month.

_I’m just here for groceries, then back to the warehouse,_ Xada thinks, picking up a box of mac and cheese, grimacing to himself. He feels he should be buying more food than for himself, with Lacey around now, but he doesn’t need to eat. Xada keeps reminding himself that Lacey isn’t human. _But he acts so human._ He knows he’s not human, but when Xada sees him smile, the crinkle at the corners of his deep, inquisitive eyes, the excited way Lacey bounces from foot to foot, Xada can’t help but let that knowledge remain dormant. 

Xada drops the box into his basket, and weaves through the market. He runs through the list of food in his head, wandering towards the checkout. He could bring Frankie into the store, it’s not like he’s a real bird, but sometimes he can be loud, or cause a disruption. And right now, Xada just wants to keep his head low, get some food, and go home. Go back to Lacey.

_Lacey needs food._ No, no he doesn’t. Lacey recharged just yesterday, one of the rare days that Seattle wasn’t shrouded in cloud cover. Xada shuffles through the aisles, plucking fruit and vegetables absentmindedly. His mind is on Lacey.

Lacey, basking in the sunlight, stretched out on the concrete dock like a cat. The way his white hair reflected the rays, glowing like the ethereal being he is. His freckles, brushed across his shoulders, sprinkled beneath his eyes. Xada blushed then, when he caught himself staring at the boy. He blushes now, just thinking about Lacey. 

Xada remembers all of Lacey’s questions. Lacey had never been outside, beyond Mod Mike’s sheltered balcony, and the night he ran off. He had never seen nature. Not like he saw yesterday. 

“What's over there?” Lacey pointed across the waters of Puget Sound, to the distant green mountains, capped by snow as pure and white as Lacey’s locks. Xada followed his gaze, smiling fondly at the distant forest. 

“That’s Olympic National Park.” Xada noticed the way Lacey tilted his head, and realized such information is likely not in a LoveBot’s programming. “Its...uh, a place that is protected for it’s natural beauty and wonder. Special places all across America that people thought deserved saving.” 

“It looks so pretty, even from here.” Lacy tucked one knee under an arm, resting his head and gazing at the distant trees. His other foot splashed the cold Pacific water back out to sea, droplets glistening in the sunlight. “Ive never seen something so green before. What’s it like?”

Xada struggled for a minute, trying to recall the last time he made the trip across the sound to Olympic. He liked to hike there, but after his internship, and then modding so many 1818s, he hasn’t had the time to visit. “Its… refreshing. Quiet, a bit crowded like the city, but in a way that’s comforting. Every turn is somewhere new, some place unique and different and wild. And in a few weeks, or even days, it could be completely changed. Moss and vines grow up the trees, like graffiti, and ferns spring up from rocks and cover the ground in life. You’ll see birds flying through the trees, filling the air with songs. Maybe in the distance, if you’re lucky, you’ll see a fox or something.” 

“What’s a fox?” Xada couldn’t help but laugh, his smile genuine. Lacey was so curious, and Xada wasn’t going to turn down from showing someone something new and interesting. So he answered every question Lacey had, and was happy to do so. 

“Its… a dog-like animal, but wild. With orange fur, but a white belly and tipped tail. Black ears. They’re pretty cute, but also clever.” Just like you. 

Xada blinks away the memory he’s lost in, staring at the gift and stationary aisle of the store. What in the world is he doing here? He needs carrots, not cards. Who even sends something like that in this day and age, anyway? Xada turns around, back on track. 

Until a tuft of orange fur catches his eyes. Xada stops dead, staring at the plush. Sitting upright, it’s black legs neatly tucked under it’s rear, the fox had eyes that begs for someone to love him. Xada reaches out before he realizes what he’s doing, and runs his calloused fingers through the fur. 

_So soft. Just like Lacey._ Xada’s heart skips, that smiling boy’s face becoming the only thought on his mind. He wants to make Lacey smile. He loves making Lacey smile. 

The fox rode in between Xada’s legs the whole way home, wind buffeting his fur and a bungee cord keeping him from slipping away when the bike accelerated. While the food remained in Xada’s fabric totes, the fox had a front seat for the scenic drive to the wharf. And sometimes, when Xada let his mind drift, he could imagine Lacey there instead, holding him between his arms. His back pressed against Xada’s broad chest. 

Second thoughts fill Xada’s mind when he turns his engine off, standing before the white metal building. Why would Lacey even want a stuffed animal? He’s not a kid. He may not even like foxes! Xada’s thoughts become a cacophony of ‘ifs’, filling his mind and clouding his brain all the way until he’s inside. 

“Xada!” The sound of Lacey’s bare feet, followed by the small boy’s arms wrapped around Xada’s neck pull him free from the anxiety that was welling up, threatening to spill over. “Thank goodness you’re home.” 

“Hey Lacey, keep yourself out of trouble?” Lacey suddenly detaches from around Xada, stepping back, shrinking back. Xada hears his voice mumble an apology under his breath, a hand gripping tight around his opposite arm. When Xada steps forward, Lacey winces. Xada knows these signs, but he’s not ready to press the issue. And Lacey doesn’t look ready to face it either. 

For now, he simply wants to make Lacey smile, unravel from that walled off, shelled up stance he’s in. Xada sets the bags of food down, keeping the plush hidden. “I got something for you.” 

“F-For me?” Lacey’s body language completely changes, guarded nature ebbing away and curiosity rising like the tides. “You got me something?”

Xada blushes hard, feeling Lacey’s eyes on him, the hopeful glitter in the heart shaped irises. He’s so cute. His gentle, parted lips, revealing his teeth just slightly, the gentle slope of his jaw. Xada remembers that he has the toy hidden behind his back, and before he can wimp out, reveals it for Lacey. “I saw it...and thought of our conversation yesterday. Now you can see what a fox looks like.” 

Lacey doesn’t take the gift at first, and Xada’s heart drops into the pit of his stomach. It’s deathly quiet in the warehouse, not even Frankie humming or whistling in the background. His hands start to shake, and he closes his eyes. Stupid. Why would he want anything like-

Gentle hands brush against Xada’s, and the fox leaves his grasp. He dares to open his eyes, and witnesses the most ethereal being he’s ever met, gently hugging the toy. Lacey has the fox tucked under his neck, arms cradling and cuddling it. He presses his face into the fur, rubbing the soft material. When Lacey’s own eyes open, tears prick at the corner. “No one has ever given me a gift before. Its… I love it. Thank you Xada.” 

_He’s not just a LoveBot._ Xada’s sure of that now. He may not be human, but he’s more than just a doll. He’s alive. He’s unique. Xada places a hand on his chest, as if it would bestill his pounding heart. Stop the blush, the butterflies in his stomach and the thoughts in his mind. But Lacey does all this to him. “Can I give you a hug?”

The surprise on Lacey’s face is evident. Clearly, no one has ever asked for his consent on anything. Much less a hug. A lock of white hair falls between his eyes, perfectly imperfect, living and breathing and incredible. “I’d love one.” 

Xada scoops Lacey up, so much taller that the boy’s feet are left dangling, the fox still held tightly in his grip, over Xada’s shoulder. Xada tucks his head into Lacey’s neck, feeling his skin and every small movement of his body beneath. A quiet moment, just the two. Pure bliss, comfort, serenity. 

Until Frankie breaks the peace. “Grocery List: carrots!” Franke lands on top of Lacey’s head, his black talons toussling the white hair. “Carrots not scanned! Forgot carrots!” 

“God damnit.” Xada whispers. Of course, he forgot the carrots.


End file.
